The death toll from severe flash floods in Nepal’s northern border district of Rasuwa has risen to 95, while nearly 500 people remain missing, according to officials cited by PTI. The flooding began on Wednesday in Nepal and China’s autonomous region of Tibet, burying hundreds of people beneath mud and floodwater. Areas and infrastructure along Nepal’s Bhotekoshi River were reported as the hardest hit.

Indian nationals form the largest identified group of missing people, with 105 Indian citizens and 37 non-resident Indians unaccounted for, a combined total of 142. Nepal Tourism Board data also listed 17 Malaysians, 12 British citizens, four South Africans, three Americans, and one each from Australia and the Netherlands as missing. The nationalities of another 111 people have not yet been confirmed.

Kathmandu University professor and climate researcher Rijan Bhakta said preliminary findings indicate an ice avalanche blocked the Lende River, causing water to accumulate. At about 9 a.m. Wednesday, as floodwaters descended into Nepal, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred in Tibet. It is suspected that the earthquake shifted the ice, releasing Lende River water through the Bhotekoshi River. Authorities are continuing to identify missing people and gather information on their whereabouts.